Does any one here agree or disagree what this guy says about toe clips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RPI7ZXDVvs ?

This guy has zero credentials on the subject matter but rides his bike a lot and is well intentioned. I fall into the same category with the only difference (maybe) that I use USAC cycling certified coaches with a track record of success, I use doctors and therapists that are cyclists and I use a fitter that fits international world champion cyclists, collectively, to get my information which ends up being specific TO ME.

Pedaling circles is potentially flawed. The reason is that the brain may compensate and reduce the downward pressure by the same or greater amount as the upward pull netting less power into the crankset. Some will argue, who have power meters, that the power increases with the addition of the upstroke. That may be true as they remember seeing the power but if they focused all the mental capacity on increasing the down stroke, the power may actually be greater.

What I do is focus all my effort of the down stroke and try to keep my heal in the back of the cycling shoe and drive through the pedal stroke and then just get my leg out of the way. Without positive foot retention, this technique is not possible. Toe clips with cleats or clipless pedals will work. Toe clips without positive engagement of the shoe in the pedal locked down is inadequate.

Cadence is another red herring as most discuss it. It is true that higher cadence requires less torque for the same power produced versus lower cadence. And that higher cadence taxes the cardiovascular system more. Lower cadence requires more muscle strength due to the increased torque. However, cyclists confuse training objectives with cycling objectives. I train low cadence and high cadence and I self select cadence when I ride for fun or performance. I train using low cadence 50 rpm and at high cadence 110 rpm +. But I self select and ride at 80 to 85 rpms on climbs and 85 to 100 on flats. To say one should always ride at 80 to 100 is general statement not too useful and incomplete.

Beginner cyclists need to be told what to do and not over think this stuff too much. It takes a long time to build muscular skeletal infrastructure and many 50+ riders have skeletal problems. So lower torque is generally better which means higher cadence. However, rookies cyclists have poor cardiovascular endurance so higher cadence is harder for them and they tend to self select low cadence and use their strength which puts more force on the joints. So rookie cyclists should stay off the hills on flat terrain and out of the big chain ring and just enjoy riding for a few months to build pedal stroke technique, cardiovascular endurance and skeletal muscular infrastructure.

I started watching this too, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR5iMj4TofQ.

This guy is good and has credentials. He talks about matters I have posted about including the importance of using the glutes in the pedal stroke, shoes and retention and orthotics. I love the way she sort of argues with him. Most cyclists want the world to be the way they see it. Unfortunately, the back, knees and other parts of the body have to deal with the bike in the real world of terrain and time in the saddle. He tells her she wants to distance herself from being a lycra clad cyclist but wants to ride a lot. Riding a lot really stresses the body so we need to have everything right and take advantage of what technology and medical science can offer.

I have large flat feet and have a toe problem due to the structure of my foot and walking and running over the years. I have custom orthotics made by a pediatrist. The guy I use is a foot surgeon and cyclist. He made me a pair of very cool, light weight custom orthotics that fix my toe problem. With orthotics, cycling and proper shoes, it should last a long time. Knee, feet and back problems need to be addressed by sports knowledgeable medical professionals, IMHO.

When I did my Retul fit a couple of months ago, the fitter praised my orthotics as works of art. He said most come to him with very poor foot position in the shoe and he has to try to fix it with wedges and etc on the bike.

I have more money tied up in pedals, shoes and orthotics than most do in CF bicycles.

IMO, the over the counter orthotics may work for some cyclists. There are other sources of orthotics such as Surefoot. I have custom orthotics in my ski boots. However, my advice is deep six running shoes or any shoes other than stiff cycling shoes designed for cycling. That is of course biased toward longer rides and more time in the saddle. Short trips around town and very easy riding is a different matter and less demanding on equipment.

He also discusses Q which is the distance between the feet. Triples are wider than double and posters in this thread are recommending pedal extensions to make the Q greater. Well, the key is to have an assessment made and see whether you need to go wider or narrower for a knee problem.

We are all different and there is no one size fits all in sports.